CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has refused to quash a case registered against Tamil news channel for revealing the identity of a victim of sexual assault in Chennai.
Justice P Velmurugan, while turning down the plea of News Tamil 24X7, noted that Section 23 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act restricts the media from disclosing the identity of the victim child including name, address, photograph and family details, the violation of which is punishable with imprisonment for not less than six months and up to one year or with fine.
The Vadapalani All Women Police had registered a case against the news channel as per the orders of the special court for Pocso Act cases for disclosing the victim’s identity by telecasting news on September 3 and September 9, 2023.
The channel’s editor filed a petition in the High Court seeking to set aside the special court’s order and quash the FIR.
“Considering the serious nature of the offence and the responsibility for the petitioner towards the society, this court is not inclined to set aside the order passed by the special court and also to grant stay of investigation of the case registered against the petitioner,” the judge said in the recent order.